John Forster, an English journalist and author, born in Newcastle in 1812. He was educated at the university of London, and was a member of its first law class. With his classmates he established the " London University Magazine," out of which grew the "Englishman's Magazine," among his contributions to which was a series of biographical articles on the "Early Patriots of England," which were subsequently enlarged into his "Lives of the Statesmen of the Commonwealth."He pursued the study of law under Chitty, and was called to the bar, but soon became a valued contributor to periodicals. In 1834 he connected himself with the "Examiner," of which he became the sole editor in 1846; and from the time of his first connection he contributed largely to every number of it, in both the departments of politics and literary criticism. He was also for four years the editor of the "Foreign Quarterly Review," and for about a year of the "Daily News" after the retirement of Mr. Dickens. He has been a frequent contributor to the " Edinburgh Review " and the "Quarterly Review." A collection of his " Historical and Biographical Essays" was published in 1858. His other principal works are: " The Life and Adventures of Oliver Goldsmith" (1848), enlarged into " The Life and Times of Oliver Goldsmith" (1854); "The Arrest of the Five Members by Charles I." (1860); " Debates on the Great Remonstrance" (1800); " Sir John Eliot, a Biography " (1864); " Walter Savage Landor, a Biography" (1868); and " The Life of Charles Dickens " (187l-'4). In 1855 he married the wealthy widow of Henry Colburn, the publisher.

In 1856 he was appointed secretary to the lunatic commission, and was made commissioner of lunacy in 1861.